


Stray Cat

by inuko678



Category: GOT7
Genre: Fluff, JB actually shows up, M/M, Markgyeom, Slice of Life, mentions of JJP - Freeform, yugmark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 03:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8951842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inuko678/pseuds/inuko678
Summary: AU story: Mark took Yugyeom in when he was 17. He wasn't expecting to fall in love with him 2 years later...Story picks up when Yugyeom is 19 and Mark is 23. Mark seems to be having an  inner conflict concerning Yugyeom's young age. Right now it's just a one-shot but that could change...





	1. So Wrong, So Right

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my AFF account: http://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/713301

Mark Tuan’s dark brown eyes slowly cracked open, a sudden shift in weight at his side had woken him up. Right now half of Kim Yugyeom’s slightly larger body was uncomfortably pressing him into their mattress. How did they even end up in this position anyway? He remembered that when they fell asleep he was the big spoon and Yugyeom was the little spoon, so how had they both ended up on their stomachs?

 

He tried to nudge the sleeping teenager off his numb arm, but the kid was dead weight when he slept. Mark sighed in slight annoyance, either they had to get a bigger bed or Yugyeom was going to have to learn better sleeping habits. After a few minutes of wriggling, Mark managed to free his half-entrapped body and sit up. The elder man swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled the cover over his naked lap.

 

He looked over his shoulder at the peacefully sleeping Yugyeom and sighed again, sometimes he felt so wrong for having the feelings he did for the younger. Sometimes he felt like the parts of the younger’s body he’s seen, kissed, and even sucked was unacceptable. Sometimes he felt that the things Yugyeom has done and said to him were downright inappropriate. He was, after all, only 19. And though, by Korean standards, he was legal he was still just a kid.

 

This morning was one of those times. Mark thought back to yesterday afternoon, when the teenager had him bent over the coffee table. He thought back to last night when the teen was riding him in bed. Mark felt a rush of guilt hit him as he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, he was having sex with this barely legal orphaned boy. He was in a relationship with this barely legal orphaned boy. But what made him feel worse was that he’d fallen in love with this barely legal orphaned boy.

 

Mark’s head perked up in surprise when he felt two warm arms circle around his waist “Mark-hyung,” he heard Yugyeom’s groggy voice mumble out, “what time is it?” Mark smiled and answered, “It’s still early Yugyeom-ah, go back to sleep.” He felt the younger shake his head, “Not without you,” he told him firmly yet sleepily. Mark laughed at that as he looked over his shoulder at him, “You’re going to have to make room if you really want that to happen,” he replied.

 

Yugyeom slowly sat up and scooted closer to the elder’s turned back. He tiredly rested his head on Mark’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around his waist, “It’s too late now, I’m awake,” he yawned out. Mark laughed again and placed one of his hands over both of Yugyeom’s, “So now what?” he asked him. Yugyeom tightened his hold on his older lover and smiled against his shoulder, “You can make us breakfast,” he suggested, his oddly colored bangs tickling his eyelashes. “What do you think we should have?” Mark questioned through a smile.

 

Yugyeom shrugged and answered, “Egg toast.” “That’s Jaebum’s specialty, not mine,” Mark pointed out. Yugyeom laughed through another yawn, “Forget it, I think I’m sleepy again anyway,” he informed. “Then let’s lay back down,” Mark softly instructed.

 

Yugyeom nodded and pulled Mark back into the bed with him. He adjusted his arms around the elder’s stomach and rested his head on his chest. Mark wrapped one arm around Yugyeom’s shoulders and tucked the other behind his head. He listened to Yugyeom’s breathing even out with a small smile. All feelings of guilt had vanished the moment the younger had woken up.

 

Their brief conversation reminded Mark of what he liked best about the younger, his happiness. Despite everything the kid had been through, Yugyeom had a lot of love, warmth, and happiness to give. It was times like this when Mark knew that what he and Yugyeom had was special; and though sometimes it seemed wrong, it was actually very right. Right for them.


	2. Lunch

Mark looked up from his task of editing some photos when heard his name being called. He turned to see a smiling Yugyeom standing at the mouth of his cubicle holding a lunchbox. “Annyeong Mark-hyung,” he greeted brightly, his bangs tickling his eyelashes. “What are you doing here Yugyeom-ah?” the elder asked curiously, “Don’t you have class?” Yugyeom shook his head as he moved a stack of folders over so he could sit on Mark’s desk, “My afternoon class was cancelled so I thought we could have lunch together,” he explained, his innocent smile growing wider.

 

Mark gave an appreciative smile back, “That sounds fine, but there’s only one lunchbox,” he noted while pointing at the food in his boyfriend’s lap, “Will this be enough for the two of us?” “I only brought food for you hyung, I already ate. I know how you forget to eat sometimes,” Yugyeom told him. Mark laughed and shook his head at the younger, “You should’ve just said that, ‘have lunch together’ is misleading,” he lightly scolded.

 

Before the younger could apologize, one of Mark’s co-workers poked his head into his cubicle, “Hey Tuan, I had no idea you were babysitting your kid brother today,” he told him as he playfully ruffled Yugyeom’s hair. Mark cringed at that, the second people saw them together they automatically assumed Yugyeom was his little brother. Yugyeom may have been a little bigger than Mark, but he still had the face of boy. The fact that Yugyeom had a book bag on right now only added to his boyish image.

 

“Come to think of it, I didn’t even know you had a brother,” the co-worker added as an afterthought. “I don’t,” Mark mumbled as he smacked his co-worker’s hand away from Yugyeom’s head, “He’s my boyfriend.” He couldn’t believe how easily that slipped from his lips. He wasn’t one to broadcast his relationship status, especially when his boyfriend was 4 years younger than him and still in school…and still a teenager. Yugyeom must have been surprised too because his ears had suddenly become flushed and his eyes had lowered.

 

“Really?” his co-worker asked incredulously, “I had no idea you were cradle-robber! What is this kid like 16 years old?” Mark cringed again, a wall immediately forming. This was the reason Mark kept quiet about Yugyeom, the shocked looks on people’s faces made him feel like some sort of pedophile. “I’m 19,” Yugyeom told the man politely, “That means I’m legal and am free to date Mark-hyung.” Though he spoke with respect, Yugyeom’s tone held a hint of annoyance. Situations like this couldn’t have been easy for him either, constantly being mistaken for a kid must get very irritating.

 

It made Mark feel a little more at ease to know that he wasn’t the only one affected by people’s reactions to their relationship. Feeling the thick tension fill up the small space the employee quickly said, “Um well yes, it was nice to meet you but I have to go.” The couple watched him hastily take his exit, the shit-eating grin on his face only meant one thing: he was going to tell everyone about Mark’s teenaged boyfriend.

 

Mark sighed and rested his head on his keyboard, “Great, another reason for them to judge me,” he mumbled as his forehead pressed into various keys. Yugyeom’s face fell when he saw how upset his boyfriend was, “I never should’ve come here,” he said guiltily, “I’m sorry hyung.” Mark lifted his head and looked at his boyfriend with a small smile, “No I’m happy you came here. Don’t be sorry because some people can’t understand our relationship, what we’re doing isn’t wrong,” he comforted, though he didn’t completely believe his own words. Yugyeom’s smile returned as he nodded, instantly happy again. That was all it took.

 

Mark placed a hand on the younger’s thigh and asked, “What’s in the lunchbox?” “Kimchi, dumplings, and spicy pork. I got it from Jaebum-hyung and Jinyoung-hyung’s restaurant,” the teen excitedly said while patting the box. Mark forced a smile and nodded, he’d just seen a couple of his co-workers walk past his space and look in with curious eyes. It bothered him, he didn’t want anyone in his business, but he would ignore it for now. He stood up from his seat and grabbed his denim jacket, “It’s a little cramped in here, let’s go outside,” he suggested. Yugyeom nodded, but before he could get up, a pair of lips on his had distracted him.

 

Mark couldn’t stop himself from kissing his boyfriend, it made him uncomfortable as hell, but he felt it was completely necessary. He cradled the back of the younger’s neck and softly kissed him for a few seconds more. He needed to show Yugyeom and everyone else that the younger’s age didn’t bother him, even if it was only an act. He pulled away and ran fingers through the blushing student’s hair, “Thanks for bringing me lunch,” he said. Yugyeom swallowed and nodded. Led by the hand, Yugyeom silently followed behind his boyfriend, a giddy smile covering his face.


	3. No Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MO' PROBLEMS, MO' PROBLEMS

BUZZ—ZAP, and just like that, the power was out. From his spot on the floor, Mark’s eyes trailed up to light fixture above his head, “What the hell?” he furrowed his dark brows and mumbled in confusion. “Mark-hyung what happened to the lights?” an equally confused Yugyeom asked entering the living room. “I’m not sure,” Mark answered pushing past his boyfriend and walking into the kitchen.

 

He looked out the window above the sink, “The building across the street still has power and so do the people who live next door, so it’s not a blackout,” he deduced. He grabbed the two fat candles he kept beneath the sink as well as the lighter he kept in one of the kitchen drawers and made his way back into the living room. “Hyung I think I may know what the problem is,” Yugyeom guiltily said as he watched the elder set the lit candles on the coffee table. Mark sat down on the floor and looked at his boyfriend’s softly illuminated remorseful face, “What did you do?” he asked seriously.

 

Yugyeom swallowed hard and slowly answered, “It’s what I didn’t do, I forgot to take the rent check to the landlord.” “How in the hell could you forget to do something so important?” Mark yelled at him in disbelief as he hopped to his feet. Yugyeom stood up as well, “I’m sorry hyung, I got caught up in studying for my exam and it slipped my mind,” he explained, “Please don’t be angry.”

 

“Don’t be angry?” the elder repeated incredulously, “Yugyeom! It’s the middle of winter and we have no lights, heat, or water! How can I NOT get angry?” Yugyeom visibly cringed at how harsh the elder sounded, “I’m sorry Mark-hyung,” he whined taking a step closer. Mark shoved the younger back down onto the couch, “I don’t need your apologies Yugyeom, they’re not going to make the utilities come back on. I can’t believe you forgot. I asked you to do one thing for me, you had one job: take the rent check down to the landlord’s office, and you couldn’t do it,” he chastised. 

 

“Can’t I just take it to him now?” Yugyeom pleaded, he wanted so badly to fix his mistake. Mark sighed and sat back down on his cold hardwood floor and placed his face in his palms. “Yugyeom it’s the middle of the night and the landlord already hates us, he’s not going to open his door for us,” the elder mumbled into his hands, “The only reason he hasn’t kicked us out yet is because I usually pay the rent on time.” “Maybe if I explain to him what happened he’ll understand,” Yugyeom frantically said, his heart sinking with every passing look of annoyance on his boyfriend’s face.

 

Feeling his anger resurface he yelled at the younger again, “YUGYEOM, please just stop. The guy is a creep, but him accepting our rent check is the least of our worries now. You seem to forget that it’s the dead of winter and we have no heat. We have a total of two blankets and these two candles. We need to be more worried about not freezing to death.” Yugyeom felt helpless, so he did what he usually did when he felt helpless: retreated inside himself. He hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face between them, he didn’t cry (he never did), he just kind of shut down.

 

Too pissed off to care right now, Mark grabbed one of the candles and made his way into the bedroom. He set the candle on the dresser and turned around to feel for his phone in their messy bed. “Shit,” he hissed when he stubbed his toe on the base of the bed. He ignored the throbbing pain and continued to search the bed, he successfully found the phone and mentally cheered.

 

Maybe one of his friends would let them crash at their place tonight, “Shit,” he cursed again, his phone had literally just died in his hands. He fought the urge to throw the useless phone onto the floor, instead he opted for finding his boyfriend’s phone. He dropped to his knees and felt around on the floor beside their bed where the younger usually kept it.

 

“Yes,” he cheered when he felt it beneath his hand. He lifted it to his face and pressed the home button, he felt his heart sink when he heard the ‘BEEP BEEP’ sound indicating that the phone was about to die. He quickly dialed Jinyoung’s number and, just as he picked up, the stupid phone died. Mark rested his back against the bed and let out a loud groan of pure frustration, he felt a headache coming on.

 

After silently counting to 120, Mark got up from the floor. He grabbed the two covers off their bed and threw them on the floor in the living room, Yugyeom was still in the exact same position. He made one last trip to their bedroom and grabbed the candle as well as both of their coats. The coats may have been a bit too much, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

 

He placed the candle back down on the table beside the other and slowly sat down beside his boyfriend, seeing his current position made Mark feel a twinge of guilt. He usually did his best not to yell at the younger because he knew he was sensitive and had been through a lot, but he couldn’t help but feel like Yugyeom deserved to be yelled at this time. He threw Yugyeom’s coat over the younger’s shoulders. Yugyeom flinched but made no other movements. After putting on his own jacket, Mark wrapped an arm around Yugyeom’s shoulders and pulled him close.

 

Mark rested his cheek on his boyfriend’s hair, “Yugyeom-ah, I’m sorry for blowing up at you,” the elder apologized. No response, as expected. “Don’t apologize hyung,” Yugyeom had said after 10 minutes of silence. He pulled away from his boyfriend and sullenly looked at him in the darkness, “I screwed up and now we might not have a place to live anymore.” Even in such a terribly lit room Mark could clearly see the distress marring his boyfriend’s features, just the thought of being homeless again must have had the kid terrified.

 

“Look Yugyeom, don’t worry about that OK,” Mark told him. Yugyeom worriedly ran his fingers through his hair, “How can I not? You don’t know what it was like for me growing up, hyung. Bouncing around from homeless shelter to homeless shelter, not knowing where my next meal was coming from. It was amazing that I even managed to finish high school,” he confided. Mark grabbed the younger by the wrist and tugged until Yugyeom’s head was resting on the pillow in his lap.

 

“Hey,” Mark said softly as he stroked his boyfriend’s hair, “Didn’t I promise you that I’d take care of you no matter what?” Yugyeom nodded, “Yes hyung, but nothing like this has ever happened. I’m so stupid,” he said as he hit himself on the forehead. Mark gabbed his boyfriend’s hand and placed it on the younger’s chest, “You made a mistake Yugyeom-ah, we all fuck up. We’re not going to be homeless, if we get booted then we’ll just find another place,” he reassured.

 

“What if we can’t afford a new place? I’ll start looking for a job right away,” Yugyeom volunteered. “No you don’t need to do that, you’re already having a hard time maintaining your scholarship,” Mark said shaking his head, “I can take care of us. Tomorrow I’ll go talk to the landlord, he may not put us out. Maybe he’ll be in the Christmas-giving mood and overlook the late check.” “And what if he doesn’t?” Yugyeom asked, not fully convinced. “Just let me worry about that OK? You just get some sleep. We’ll be fine,” he promised as he continued to stroke the younger’s hair.

 

Yugyeom nodded, his eyes already beginning to droop. Mark leaned down and grabbed one of the blankets at his feet. He threw it over his stretched out boyfriend’s body and then went back to rubbing his hair. He was happy that he’d gotten Yugyeom to stop worrying, but he wished he could say the same for himself. Though he’d reassured the younger that all would be OK, that he could take care of them, he wasn’t so sure he could. He hated lying to Yugyeom, but in situations like this it was better.

 

The truth was that the landlord was a prejudiced prick who made gay jokes every time he saw Mark. He’d made it a point, on several occasions, to tell Mark that if there was any screw ups he and Yugyeom would be out. Mark prayed that the landlord would let this little mishap slip. Mark prayed that they would be able to pull through and find a new place if they did get kicked out. Mark prayed that for once God would listen.


	4. Pushed Too Far

Mark sighed and wiped some sweat from his forehead. He was keeping busy with packing up the rest of their stuff while Yugyeom was at school. They ended up getting evicted anyway, the stupid landlord told Mark that he’d been waiting for them to slip up so he could boot them out. Luckily Yugyeom had read about a small apartment available for leasing. It was a nice one bed/bath apartment that was both close to the school and Mark’s job. The only problem was that, collectively, they had too much stuff to fit into the smaller apartment.

 

Luckily Mark had a storage unit he’d rented when he moved to Korea, he was packing up the things they were moving into it. He looked around their empty apartment, all the rest of their stuff in boxes placed all over the new apartment. Despite the terrible landlord, Mark really liked this apartment it was his first home in a new country. His reverie was interrupted when he heard a knock on the door, he tossed the tape gun down and stood to answer it. “Ildong-ssi,” their landlord, “What brings you here?” Mark asked with a forced bow.

 

Ildong looked down his nose and pushed past Mark, “I came to inspect the apartment to make sure there are no damages,” he informed, his trusty clipboard and pen poised in his hands. Mark nodded in understanding, ‘Anything to get you out of here faster,’ he thought as he shut the door. Mark sat back down to finish packing and let Ildong do his little inspection in peace, he knew that there were no damages to the place so he wasn’t worried. Ildong returned to the living room a few moments later, his thick glasses sitting on the tip of his nose, and addressed Mark, “Yes, everything seems to be in order.”

 

Mark nodded, “As expected,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s a good thing too, I have a nice wholesome couple coming by and I don’t want any traces of you and your…boy-toy left,” Ildong sneered. Mark felt his patience wear thin, “Excuse me?” he asked standing up, “Boy-toy?” Ildong sized Mark up before answering, “Yes, you and your infant lover,” he chuckled with his next statement, “Well now that you’re moving out I can speak freely.”

 

Mark crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the shorter balding man, “Please do, because I have some things to get off my chest too.” “Fine, you and your adolescent lover disgust me,” Ildong fired off, “I could ignore your abnormal lifestyle if it were just you, but to drag an innocent teenager into your perverse world is just plain sick.”

 

“The only thing disgusting is your backwards views about homosexuality, I didn’t lure my ‘innocent adolescent lover’ into being with me. He’s always been gay,” Mark retorted. Ildong snorted, “Oh please, he’s barely an adult. Clearly you took advantage of his naivety and filled his head with your demented sexual preferences. But I’m not surprised someone like you would prey on such a weak-minded boy.”

 

Mark couldn’t stop himself from punching the homophobic landlord in the face. He’d never been spoken to in such a way, the man acted like he wasn’t human.

 

“How dare you lay your hands on an elder,” Ildong yelled as he rubbed his swelling jaw. “Fuck you, you old homophobic prick,” Mark yelled in English, he was too upset to translate for the ignorant man. He was about to punch the man again when heard a shocked voice call out his name,

 

“Mark-hyung,” it was Yugyeom. “What are you doing?” he asked in bewilderment. Mark didn’t look at his boyfriend but he did answer, “I’m about to send this old man to intensive care.” Yugyeom tossed his book bag to the floor and intercepted his livid boyfriend from behind, “You can’t do that hyung,” he said holding the shorter man back.

 

“Yes the fuck I can,” he yelled in English before switching back to Korean, “Let me go right now.” He bucked against the younger’s hold as he tried to get to the cowering landlord. Yugyeom didn’t know what had transpired between the two, but he did know that beating the landlord up could land his American lover in jail.

 

“I think you should leave,” he directed at Ildong. The old man fearfully scrambled to his feet and fled the apartment, leaving behind his trusty pen and clipboard. Mark bucked again as he tried to break free to follow the old man, “Mark-hyung please calm down,” Yugyeom said in his ear while he tightened his grip.

 

“Let me go,” the elder demanded, his chest rapidly rising and falling in rage. Yugyeom shook his head and firmly stated, “Not until you calm down.” “Kim Yugyeom, get your hands off me,” the elder growled out in an authoritative tone as he finally wrenched free of the younger’s grasp. Before Mark could run out of the apartment, the scared and confused younger grabbed onto his arm, “Please calm down and tell me what happened hyung,” he pleaded.

 

Mark snatched his arm away and glared at his boyfriend, “Fine I’ll tell you what happened. That man basically told me a I’m a sick and twisted pedophile,” he yelled out. Yugyeom looked taken aback, “What?” he asked shaking his head, “Why would he say that?” “Because I’m not a real person in his eyes, Yugyeom. To him I’m just some disgusting pervert who tricked you into coming to the dark side,” Mark told him as he kicked one of the boxes, he heard something break inside it.

 

Mark planted his hands on his hips and began to pace, trying to appease his anger. “OK what he said was wrong, but you shouldn’t have hit him Mark-hyung,” Yugyeom reasoned, “He’s an elder. He deserves respect.” Mark shook his head in disbelief, “Are you freaking kidding me?” he asked stopping in his tracks, “I had no choice but to hit him, he deserves the beating of a lifetime and if you hadn’t stopped me he would’ve gotten it.” Yugyeom shook his head in denial, “No hyung, what he said wasn’t reason enough for physical violence.”

 

Mark shook his head again and ran his fingers through his hair in irritation, “You don’t get it, so let me explain it to you. There are people like him everywhere, people who feel like they can just do and say as they please without any consequences. I refuse to let anyone talk to me or treat me like I’m something less than human just because I’m not attracted to women. You don’t understand what it’s like to feel threatened because people can’t accept the way you were born, they can’t accept something you can’t change. You don’t understand how many fights I’ve been in or how many times I’ve been jumped for just trying to be who I am. I mean, part of the reason I moved out here was to get away from people like that.” He took a step back and began to pace again, “People like him don’t deserve respect,” Mark concluded with a shake of his head.

 

“So what are you going to do? Beat up anyone who has something negative to say?” Yugyeom queried from his seat on the floor. Mark glared at his boyfriend and answered, “It’s better than idly sitting by while they attempt to strip me of my humanity.” Yugyeom shook his head, “I just don’t think it’s right to create conflict like that.”

 

Mark noticed that his boyfriend looked distressed, he was clearly upset about having to break up the altercation. He halted his pacing and stooped down before the younger, “Look kid, I understand that you don’t agree with my methods. You don’t like conflict. But what you have to understand is that at some point you’re going to have to deal with people like Ildong. Now you can either choose to ignore the hate and let it continue or you can fight back,” Mark wisely told him.

 

Yugyeom let what he said sink in, he wasn’t sure how he would react in such a situation. He looked up when Mark ran fingers through his hair, “Just know that I’ll be there to either defend you or help you kick someone’s ass,” the elder promised him. Mark pressed his forehead against the younger’s, “No one is going to make me feel bad about loving you,” he said, no one except himself.


	5. Things Fall Apart

“You think we’ll be able to actually make it to the bed next time?” Yugyeom asked, his back pressed against the cool frame of the aforementioned object. Mark laughed deeply, his cheek resting comfortably in the younger’s lap while his chest and right arm was carelessly thrown over his crossed knees, “Half of me was on the bed…that counts,” he said with a small shrug. 

 

Yugyeom ran light fingers through the elder’s damp hair, “I’m surprised you let me top this time, you’ve been in a dominating mood all week,” he said through a small smile. “Hey you may have topped, but I was in control the whole time,” the elder replied firmly.Yugyeom shrugged, it was true, Mark set the pace and every demand he made the younger followed obediently. 

 

“Mark-hyung?” Yugyeom’s voice had all of a sudden become timid and his fingers fell from the elder’s hair. Mark rolled over onto his back and looked up at the younger, “What’s up?” he asked, the change in tones had him slightly worried. “You love me right?” the younger asked staring down at him, his eyes held uncertainty. Mark’s brows furrowed, of course he did, “Of course I do,” he confirmed. He sat up, “Why are you asking all of a sudden?” he queried.

 

Yugyeom shrugged again, “I don’t know,” he said looking away, “Sometimes you look at me like I’m the worst mistake you’ve ever made. Like you’re ashamed to be with me.”

 

What could Mark say? There was definitely some regret and shame hidden deep inside him and it had every bit to do with Yugyeom, but it wasn’t his fault. What could he say to make the look of insecurity vanish from the younger’s handsome features? He didn’t want to lie to him, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to reveal the truth either. “You’re hesitating,” Yugyeom stated, “Are you ashamed of me?” “I’m ashamed of myself,” Mark replied almost automatically. 

 

The truth it is.

 

Yugyeom looked at his boyfriend in confusion, “What?” “Look you’re still just a kid, and sometimes I have a hard time dealing with that,” Mark revealed. “Why?” the younger asked. It was Mark’s turn to shrug, “Sometimes I feel bad for loving you and having sex with you because you’re just a teenager and I’ll be turning 24 in a few months. It makes me feel like I’m robbing you of your innocence or something, like a creep,” he explained. 

 

“Mark-hyung there’s no reason my age should make you feel like a creep,” Yugyeom said with a shake of his head, “I’m of legal age and when November rolls around I won’t even be a teenager anymore. I knew what I was doing and what I wanted when we got together, you didn’t blindside me into being in a relationship with you. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m naïve, I know how I feel about you.” He pulled his knees to his chest and waited for a reply.

 

Mark nodded, “Yes, I understand all of that, but sometimes it still bothers me,” he answered twiddling his thumbs in his lap. “So what should we do then?” Yugyeom asked slightly upset, “Postpone our relationship until I get to an age you’re more comfortable with? Are you still going to feel this way when I’m 24 and you’re 28? I’m always going to be four years younger than you.”

 

Mark swallowed, Yugyeom was right. He would always be younger, but would Mark always feel bad about it?

 

“I mean I can move on campus if it bothers you so much, maybe I should be living with other 19 year olds,” the younger said hugging his knees tighter. He didn’t want to make his boyfriend uncomfortable and since he couldn’t change the age difference he could at least make himself scarce.

 

Mark placed a reassuring hand on the nape of his boyfriend’s neck, the tips of his fingers smoothing down his tousled hair, “You’re not going anywhere Yugyeom,” he told him with a shake of his head. Even though he was the cause, he wanted to do his best to ease his boyfriend’s uncertainty. He pressed his forehead to the younger’s, “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault that I have a small problem with the age gap. I’m trying to work through this moral block I have going on and I need you here to help me,” he said stroking his hair. 

 

Yugyeom reached up and unhooked his boyfriend’s hand, “How can I help?” he questioned, “I’m the problem. I don’t want you to have any issues with our relationship and maybe the only way that can happen is if we end it. You can find someone your age and I can find someone who won’t have a problem with my age.” 

 

How quickly Yugyeom’s concern for the elder switched to anger.

 

“I never said I wanted to end things with you,” Mark said shaking his head. He watched Yugyeom stand up and grab his discarded clothes, “No, only that you have a problem with me being a teenager,” the younger growled back pulling his t-shirt over his head. “I’m just being honest with you, why are you getting so angry?” Mark asked as he shoved his suddenly annoying bangs back. 

 

“Because we get so much hate from so many people because of my age. You’re the one person I trusted to be as confident about our relationship as me; and now I find out you have these deep seated problems with my age, too,” Yugyeom yelled as he buttoned his jeans. “They aren’t deep seated,” Mark denied, he clutched the sheets around his naked hips and sat on the bed. “Oh really hyung?” Yugyeom asked in disbelief, “How long have you been bothered by my young age?” 

 

Mark was silent because, truthfully, it had always bothered him. Since the beginning he’d always felt a slight disgust for himself for wanting someone so young. An inkling of guilt for selfishly ignoring his moralities in favor of being with Yugyeom. It was a constant battle; every time he felt like what they had was OK he’d see the judgmental stares from the onlookers. Yugyeom’s angry voice pierced through his trance. 

 

“That long?” he heard the younger ask. Mark’s silence was more than enough confirmation, it was like he could hear exactly what the other was thinking.

 

“Why did we even get together? If it’s always been a problem, why waste my time with all this false confidence?” Yugyeom asked in frustration, “Why make me think that we were OK?” “Because we are OK Yugyeom,” Mark exclaimed, “I told you I’m working through my problem.” Yugyeom shook his head as he stuffed his wallet into his book bag, “You shouldn’t have any problems Mark-hyung. I don’t have any problems with you being older. Age shouldn’t matter if you love me,” Yugyeom said.

 

Those were his last words before he left the apartment. Mark didn’t follow behind him because he was very naked and because he knew the younger needed time to cool off. It was the first time the younger had ever yelled at him. It was also the first time Mark had ever seen his boyfriend so angry; he didn’t think something like this would set off the good natured boy. ‘Age shouldn’t matter if you love me,’ echoed in Mark’s mind. 

 

Did he actually love Yugyeom? Like really love him? Or had his brotherly affection for the younger evolved into some twisted sexual relationship? Maybe this fight was a good thing, he needed time to sort himself out.


	6. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter kind of told in retrospect

Mark stared up at his ceiling. He’d been laying there on the floor all day, he didn’t move unless he absolutely had to. Yugyeom had been gone all week. He didn’t know where the younger was and he didn’t even attempt to find out. He did know that Yugyeom had come back one day while he was at work and grabbed some more clothes, he’d noticed that about two days ago. 

 

Mark turned onto his side, his dark eyes traveling over to the picture of them. He sighed and rolled over onto his other side. He wasn’t exactly depressed, more so stuck in a trance. He was trying to figure out exactly when he fell in love with the younger, if there was ever such a moment. Right now all the lines seemed to be blurry and some of them even intersected. 

 

He thought back to the day he met Yugyeom, he remembered everything all too vividly. Like a favorite scene from an old movie.

<>

Two years ago, a 21 year old Mark Tuan stumbled onto the sidewalk outside his favorite diner. He cursed under his breath and stood up straight. His eyes fell on a figure huddled up against the wall. “Hey,” he called out to the person, he was half concerned/half curious. When he didn’t receive an answer, he shrugged and went into the diner. After he’d ordered his food to-go, Mark felt the need to check on the stranger. He made his way outside and was relieved to see that the stranger hadn’t relocated. Mark boldly sat down beside the shivering person. “Are you OK?” he asked. A head lifted to reveal a boyish face, “I’m fine,” he softly answered back. 

 

Mark was taken aback, he was not expecting to see someone so young. “Why are you out here?” Mark asked him. The boy shrugged, “The shelter’s full,” he simply answered. The kid was homeless. Mark handed the boy his hot coffee, “Here.” He didn’t know why, but he felt the need to protect the boy. Mark also handed over his food. “Um isn’t this yours?” the boy asked. Mark smiled at him and shook his head, “It’s yours now. You look like you need it more than me.” “Thank you,” the younger said graciously with a half bow. A hand over the lid stopped him from opening the food. He looked at Mark curiously, “How about you eat that someplace warm?” the elder asked. The boy stared at him in confusion. He watched Mark get up, “C’mon,” he heard him say.

<>

Mark sighed again and rolled onto his back again. The kid came into his life and never left. It was his fault though: if he’d just kept to himself that night…then Yugyeom would probably still be homeless. Or worse, selling his pretty body for money and a warm place to sleep at night. Mark shook his head at the thought, his flesh crawling. Just the notion of some old perv’s hands on his boyfriend’s body made him feel sick.

 

He remembered that Yugyeom was extra clingy the first few months after he moved in. He used to be afraid of being abandoned again. After he was sure that Mark wasn’t going anywhere, he began to open up and show his true self. Over the course of those two years Mark discovered how smart, funny, and open-minded the younger was. He also found out how strong Yugyeom was; despite being homeless, he managed to go to school and even pass all of his classes. He’d even managed to get into college on a few of scholarships.

 

Mark was still having trouble pinpointing the moment when his feelings changed for the younger. He did remember when he started seeing Yugyeom in a different light, though. He remembered when he started to see Yugyeom more as of an attractive male and less of an obedient dongsaeng.

<>

One year ago, an 18 year old Yugyeom came crashing into the apartment soaking wet. “What happened to you?” Mark asked him looking up from his computer. Yugyeom pushed his wet bangs back, “I got caught in the rain,” he answered breathlessly. Mark chuckled and got up to retrieve a towel for his dongsaeng. When he returned he saw that Yugyeom had pulled off his wet t-shirt and tossed it aside. He swallowed and stared that the younger’s toned build. Was Yugyeom always this well-developed?

 

He averted his eyes and quickly handed over the towel, flashes of the younger’s wet jeans clinging to his thick thighs and amazingly long legs invading his mind. “Thanks Mark-hyung,” Yugyeom said with a bright smile as he accepted the towel. Mark was awed by the younger’s face this time. When did Yugyeom become so charmingly handsome? And did he always have that beauty mark beneath his eye? Were his eyes always so inviting? Were his lips always so luscious and pink? Had his jawline always been that strong?

 

Mark began to wonder what it would be like to feel those lips on his. He began to imagine what that soft white skin tasted like. Would it bruise easily if he nipped at it? He began to wonder what those long limbs would feel like wrapped around him. He began to wonder what kinds of sounds the younger would make when wracked with pleasure. And then he stopped, suddenly feeling disgusted with himself. Yugyeom was barely 18 and here he was having sexual thoughts about him. He wasn’t even legal yet. “Mark-hyung are you alright?” he heard Yugyeom ask, but all he could focus on was the lips that said it and the hands roughly towel-drying soft hair. “No,” he answered shaking his head. He stood up and excused himself.

<>

Mark rolled back onto his side and stared at the picture again. He smiled at the picture. He and Yugyeom had gone stargazing that night with Jaebum and Jinyoung. Jinyoung had managed to catch a candid picture of them lying on the grass together. Yugyeom liked the picture so much that he had it printed and framed it. The younger had said that it captured the essence of their relationship. Mark thought back to how their relationship began, it may have been one of his fondest memories. Yugyeom was so nervous that it was almost comical.

<>

Earlier this year, a 19 year old Yugyeom rigidly sat down across from the elder in their booth. Mark looked up from his menu, “What’s wrong with you?” he asked him. Yugyeom quickly shook his head, “Nothing Mark-hyung,” he softly answered back and flipped open his menu. Mark wasn’t convinced but he let it go. “Hyung, I have a question,” the younger quickly spoke up as he dropped his menu back onto the table. Mark looked at him again and nodded. 

 

“How do you know if you’re in love?” Yugyeom slowly asked. Mark sat back and masked his shock. He didn’t like this question. Had Yugyeom fallen in love with someone? Mark couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. “Why are you asking that so suddenly Yugyeom-ah?” Mark asked him. He needed to know if Yugyeom was in love. He needed to know if he should take a step back

 

Yugyeom stared down at his white knuckles in his lap, “Because I think I may be in love with you,” he boldly confessed. Mark felt himself riddled with shock again, “What?” he asked. “I don’t know, lately all I’ve been able to do is think about you Mark-hyung. I think about kissing you… and sleeping with you… and waking up next to you. I think about how much I miss you when you’re gone, even though I know you’re only at work. I think about how nervous you make me when you talk to me, or smile at me, or even look at me. I think about how much you make me smile. I think about how tight my chest feels when you’re around,” Yugyeom rambled, his face red and his voice uneven, “So please tell me that this is love and that I’m not some obsessed weirdo.” 

 

Mark stared at the younger with wide eyes, he couldn’t believe this full blown confession he was hearing. He couldn’t believe that Yugyeom was mirroring his own feelings. It was surreal, like a Disney story. Shit like this just didn’t happen to him, and for a second Mark thought he was on a hidden camera show.

 

Yugyeom took Mark’s surprised stare as a sign of rejection, “Oh no, I screwed up. I shouldn’t have said anything,” he said shaking his head, “I have to go.” Mark caught; the younger’s wrist as he breezed past him. He yanked Yugyeom down beside him in the booth. Yugyeom squeezed his eyes shut, “Please don’t hate me Mark-hyung,” he cried out fearfully, “You don’t have to love me, but I can’t handle you hating me.”

 

Mark didn’t know if he could courageously blurt out his feelings like Yugyeom, but he had to do something to wipe away the fear on the younger’s face. He had to do something to prove that he wasn’t angry and that he was, in fact, in love as well. His fingers found the back of Yugyeom’s neck and he pulled the younger into a kiss. Message effectively sent.

<>

Mark couldn’t figure it out. He couldn’t figure out that precise moment when his feelings changed. He did know that it happened after he became attracted to the younger, but before the younger confessed. Somewhere in between there, he fell in love. Somewhere in between there, Mark had stopped seeing Yugyeom as a baby brother and started seeing him as a lover and a boyfriend. Somewhere in between there, his intentions shifted from nurturing him to loving him. 

 

Was something like that even plausible? Was it OK for Mark to start out as a big brother-figure and turn into a boyfriend? He felt like it should it be. He felt like the feelings he had when he first met Yugyeom were just as genuine as the feelings he had about Yugyeom now. Though they’d developed into something more along the way, Mark was pretty sure that this was OK. Him being in love Yugyeom now, even though he wasn't in love with him in the beginning, it was OK. Though he couldn’t remember, Mark was positive that he took the proper steps through that transition period between brotherhood and lovers. He filled the role of big brother to capacity and now he had a new role to fill. A seprate role.

 

Mark slowly sat up as his thoughts fell into alignment with his feelings. Things were starting to unravel and make sense. Mark felt the necessary breakthrough he needed was approaching. Laying in the middle of his living room floor for 8 hours had helped him face-off against his own insecurities, concerns, and confusions. But now that he understood his feelings, was that enough to eliminate the guilt he had for taking Yugyeom at such a young age? He laid back down and let his eyes travel to the ceiling again, maybe he needed another 8 hours of solitude to answer that question.


	7. 17 Days

“Mark-hyung please, wake up,” Mark heard someone say. ‘Yugyeom?’ he thought hopefully as he opened his tired dark eyes. He locked gazes with someone, but it wasn't Yugyeom, “Oh, it’s only you,” he griped and closed his eyes again. Jaebum stared at his friend with a raised brow, part of him wanted to ask the elder why he was sleeping in the middle of his living room floor instead of his bed, but he was on a mission. 

 

“Yes hyung, it’s me, I came to talk,” he said shaking his friend. Mark groaned in mild annoyance, he wondered how the guy had even gotten into his apartment; he was pretty sure that the door was locked. 

 

He turned on his side away from Jaebum, “About what?” he mumbled out and covered his face with his hand. “About Yugyeom,” Jaebum told the back of the elder’s head. Mark flinched a little at his boyfriend’s name; he hadn’t heard it spoken out loud in two weeks, it sounded foreign to him. “What about him, Jaebum?” he asked, his back still turned. “Where is he?” Jaebum queried feigning curiosity, he knew where Yugyeom was but he wanted to see if Mark knew. 

 

“Not here,” Mark answered with a shake of his head. 

 

Jaebum furrowed his brows and nodded, “I know,” he grumbled, “Because the brat has been camping out in my living room for the past 17 days.” Mark rolled back over and stared at his friend in confusion, “And judging by your face, you had no idea,” Jaebum concluded as he leaned back on his palms. Mark sighed and sat up, “No I didn’t know; I didn’t even bother to find out where he went when he ran out of here. I figured he was staying with a friend on campus or something,” he admitted shoving the hood of his sweatshirt off his head.

 

“Mark-hyung, why haven’t you even bothered to contact your boyfriend?” Jaebum asked the elder. “We had a fight,” Mark simply stated as he propped an elbow on the low coffee table behind him. The younger nodded, “Yes, I understand that. All couples fight, hyung. But what I don’t understand is how you didn’t even bother to locate your boyfriend,” he said, “you love him right?”

 

“Of course I do,” Mark found himself instantly answering, his voice raised. He was tired of his feelings being questioned. “So why, if you love him, haven’t you looked for him? For 17 days? I’d understand if you left him alone for a couple of days, because when he showed up he was livid…but for 17 days?” Jaebum questioned shaking his head, “I don’t get it.” He crossed his arms and patiently waited for an answer. “Look I know it seems bad,” Mark said running his fingers through his messy hair, “but I didn’t call him for a reason.” 

 

“What reason hyung?” Jaebum asked skeptically, he still didn’t understand. “I left Yugyeom alone because I needed some time to think. He asked me things that I couldn’t immediately answer, but should’ve been able to. I completely closed myself off to the world to think about what he asked me; I even used up some of my sick days. He wasn’t the only person I wasn’t contacting,” Mark explained.

 

“What things?” the younger pried curiously. Mark shook his head, “Nothing I want to discuss with you Jaebum-ah, no offense.” Jaebum held his hands up in surrender, “None taken,” he assured, “but can you at least tell me If you know the answers to those questions now?” Mark smiled and nodded, “Yea, I figured them out.” 

 

“Good because that kid has been going through the motions because of you. He’s hasn’t smiled since you guys fought and he’s sad all the time, it’s really depressing to look at. He thinks you don’t love him anymore and you not contacting him hasn’t helped with his assumptions,” Jaebum revealed. Mark instantly felt guilty, he had no idea. He wasn’t trying to upset his boyfriend further, but he needed that distance between them. 

 

Jaebum spoke up again, “ I hope the answers to those questions will be what he wants to hear, because Yugyeom deserves to be loved and I really think you’re the only person who can love him the way he needs and wants to be loved.”

 

Mark smiled and nodded again, “I think so too,” he agreed. 

 

“Great,” Jaebum cheered as he hopped to his feet. A confused Mark watched his friend’s form disappear into his bedroom, ‘What is he doing?’ Jaebum returned with Mark’s phone in one hand and his wallet in the other. “Am I going somewhere?” Mark asked pointing at the items. Jaebum held them out for his friend to take, “Yes, you’re going to go talk to Yugyeom,” he plainly answered. “Right now?” the elder questioned incredulously. 

 

“Yes right now,” Jaebum firmly said, “You say you know the answers to whatever Yugyeom-ah asked you two weeks ago, why waste any more time? He’s waiting on you.” Jaebum was right, Mark had spent more than enough time away from his boyfriend. It was time to set things straight, he missed his boyfriend. Mark stood up and snatched the snapback off Jaebum’s head and placed it on his head to cover his messy hair. “OK I’ll go talk to him,” he announced as he shoved his newly retrieved items into his sweatpants pockets. 

 

“Yay let’s go,” Jaebum said excitedly following the elder to the door. Mark held his hand out to stop his friend. “No you stay here, I need to be alone with Yugyeom,” he told him as he shoved his feet into his shoes by the door. Jaebum looked at the elder in frustration, “But it’s my apartment,” he protested. “Yes I know, but I don’t care,” Mark simply told him. He quickly grabbed his car keys off the key hook mounted on the wall and left the apartment.

 

“JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MAKNAE OUT OF MY APARTMENT MARK-HYUNG,” Jaebum called out to the elder before he closed the door. He sighed and plopped down on the couch, “I hope this doesn’t take all night,” he mumbled to himself.


	8. No Matter What

“Damn, I forgot to grab Jaebum’s keys,” Mark cursed to himself. He was standing outside his friend’s apartment door jiggling the knob. He sighed and rested his head against the cool paint, so much for just charging in. ‘Guess I should knock then,’ he thought. It was funny, he found himself becoming nervous as he lifted his knuckles to the white door. He didn’t know how Yugyeom was going to react to seeing him after not speaking to him for over two weeks. He swallowed his nervousness and sharply rapped on the door, it was now or never. 

 

The door swung open and he was greeted by the sight of his boyfriend’s tired face. The younger stared at the elder in shock, “Mark-hyung,” he stammered out, he was obviously not expecting to see his boyfriend. “We need to talk, Yugyeom,” Mark firmly told him as he pushed past his boyfriend into Jaebum’s apartment. “Hyung, now is not a good time,” Yugyeom quickly said following behind Mark, “I have company.” Though he didn’t need to say it, because Mark was staring right at his boyfriend’s ‘company’.

 

This person was not someone Mark knew. This person seemed a little too comfy on Jaebum’s couch, like he’d sat there before. This person seemed a bit too eager to see Yugyeom return, like he’d been impatiently waiting on a lover. This person smiled at Yugyeom and boldly asked, “Who’s your friend?” ‘Friend?’ Mark thought in annoyance. This person had to go. Mark walked the few paces between the living room threshold and the couch, grabbed the ‘company’ by his t-shirt, and yanked him up off the couch. 

 

“You need to leave,” Mark rudely ordered as he whirled him around and shoved him towards the door, “now.”

 

The ‘company’, whose name Mark didn’t care to learn took one fearful look at him and said a quick, “Bye,” to Yugyeom before tucking tail out the front door. Yugyeom crossed his arms, “What the hell was that?” he asked angrily, he was not pleased with what just transpired. “Yah, watch your tone,” Mark told him sitting down on the arm of the couch. Yugyeom bit back the urge to snap, no matter how mad he was, he would still be respectful.

 

“Why are you here Mark-hyung?” he asked leaning against the wall furthest from his boyfriend. Mark tossed his car keys on the table and answered, “I told you we need to talk.” “We haven’t talked for more than two weeks and now, when I’m busy, you decide we need to talk?” the younger asked incredulously. “I didn’t know you had someone over,” Mark didn’t mean for ‘someone’ to come out so harshly, but he was a little pissed off. 

 

“You would if you had called first, but you’ve forgotten how to do that these past couple weeks,” Yugyeom defended. Mark took Jaebum’s snapback off his head and tossed it onto the table as well, “The phone works both ways Yugyeom, you didn’t call either,” he snapped, but immediately regretted it. He didn’t mean to make it seem like it was Yugyeom’s fault he didn’t call. “You were the one who was wrong, Mark-hyung, why would I call?” the younger shot back.

 

Mark was silent, Yugyeom was right. 

 

He sighed and stood up, “You’re right Yugyeom,” he said moving closer. He sat down on the floor beside Yugyeom’s feet and looked up at the younger expectantly. Yugyeom slowly sat down next to him. “I came to apologize for ignoring you for so long…among other things,” he said pressing his back to the wall.

 

“I thought you had abandoned me,” Yugyeom told him softly, “I know I said we should break up, but I was so angry when I said it. You said so many things that pissed me off, things I wasn’t expecting to hear.” Mark was feeling guilty again, guilty for hiding his dilemma for so long. He felt even worse for knowing that, had Yugyeom not found out he would’ve kept on hiding it. Yugyeom spoke up again, “When you didn’t call me or text, I thought you had taken me seriously, I thought you were done with me.” 

 

Mark threw an arm around the younger to offer some comfort, “Don’t you know I could never be done with you?” he asked him shaking his head. Yugyeom hugged his knees to his chest, “So why’d you wait so long to come find me? Why’d you ignore me?” he questioned. Mark crossed his legs and answered, “Because I had a lot to think about.” Yugyeom patiently waited for the elder to explain.

 

“You said some things that I really had to think about. I had to figure out if the feelings I have for you are actually love and I had to figure out if I would ever be OK with you being younger than me. I literally laid out on our living room floor for days and scoured over every single event and memory I have with you. I think part of the reason why I was so bothered by the age thing is because I was equating my role as your big brother to my role as your boyfriend. I kept thinking of you as my innocent little brother whom I was developing sexual feelings for. Deep down inside, I was still trying to fill my role as ‘big brother Mark’ while balancing my new role as ‘boyfriend Mark.’ I thought that those two roles had to overlap,” Mark told him. 

 

He pushed his bangs back and anxiously rubbed his other hand over his kneecap. He prayed that what he was saying was making sense, because to him it sounded insane. It was his first time speaking his revelations out loud, he didn’t realize how crazy it sounded until now. But it was how he was feeling inside. Yugyeom looked at his boyfriend, “So what do you think now?” he timidly asked as if he was afraid of the answer. “I think that my role as your big brother is over,” Mark answered confidently, “It was over the second you confessed to me.” 

 

Yugyeom looked at the elder through his long bangs, “And what about your role as my boyfriend? Is that over too?” he asked hugging his knees tighter. 

 

Mark laughed a little and pulled Yugyeom closer to him, “Didn’t I just say I could never be done with you?” he asked ruffling his hair, “I love you Yugyeom-ah, no matter how many fights we get in. No matter how many times I fuck up. No matter how many times you fuck up. No matter how many time life fucks up, in general. No matter how many people disapprove, I’m always going to love you.”

 

Yugyeom smiled at that, it made him feel a little better, but a question was still burning in his gut, “Hyung can you get past the age thing? Can you fully love me without bullying yourself?” OK, two questions. Mark nodded, “I’m already past the age thing Yugyeomie, it’s in the past along with ‘big brother Mark’. I’m sorry it took me so long to straighten things out and I’m proud to say I no longer feel guilty about us,” he told the younger. 

 

Yugyeom let out a huge sigh of relief, “Thank God! So can I please come home now?” he queried through a wide grin. He wrapped his arms around Mark’s midsection and lightly squeezed, his mood was completely lifted. Mark laughed and nodded again, “Yes you can come home and I can finally go back into our bedroom,” he replied as he hugged the younger’s shoulders tighter. 

 

“Daebak,” Yugyeom cheered, “I think Jaebum-hyung was getting tired of me being here.” “He is most definitely tired of you,” Mark replied through a smile. It felt so good to laugh and talk with his boyfriend again, it felt even better now that those underlying feelings of regret and self-resentment were gone.

 

He leaned in and happily captured the younger’s lips in a much needed kiss. Mark had missed Yugyeom’s lush pink lips; they always seemed to revive him and he really needed some revitalization. He fisted his fingers in the younger’s hair and slowly eased him onto his back. He didn’t care if this wasn’t his apartment, Mark wanted be inside his boyfriend as soon as possible; they’d been apart too long.

 

Yugyeom broke the kiss and stopped Mark’s fingers from unbuttoning his shirt, “Wait hyung, I have one more question,” he breathed out, his lips kiss swollen. Mark bit back his sexual frustration and rested his forehead against Yugyeom’s, “What?” he sighed out. “Why did you kick my classmate out?” the younger innocently asked. Mark chuckled and returned to his task of unbuttoning his boyfriend’s shirt, “I didn’t know he was your classmate at the time,” he justified. 

 

He straddled the younger’s hips and opened his shirt to reveal his amazingly sculpted body, sometimes Mark was really jealous of how well Yugyeom’s body had developed… this was not one of those times. 

 

Yugyeom laughed at the elder’s statement and tone, “Who did you think he was? My new boyfriend?” he asked in disbelief. “Yah don’t laugh at me, Kim Yugyeom. I got a little jealous,” Mark playfully snapped. He lowered his lips to the younger’s delicious collarbone and began to trail kisses up his neck. Yugyeom only laughed harder, “I’m sorry but I never knew you were the jealous type,” he said tilting his head to allow Mark better access to his neck, “You really scared the poor guy. He’s probably never going to come near me again.” 

 

Mark slapped a hand over the younger’s mouth to stifle his incessant babbling. “You are really killing my mood here. Shut up and let me fuck you Yugyeom,” he firmly commanded before he replaced his hand with his mouth.


	9. Better Days

“Mark-hyung, I have to go to class,” Yugyeom complained as he tried to pry the elder’s hands off his hips, “Please let me go.” Mark grinned and tightened his grip, the younger was straddling his hips and he was trying to keep him there, “Can’t you skip class today?” Yugyeom smiled back, lately Mark had been acting so clingy and he loved it, “I can’t skip anymore classes hyung,” he regretfully declined.

 

Mark pressed their fronts together causing Yugyeom to fall forward onto his hands, “You sure?” he asked grinding his growing erection against the younger’s. Yugyeom gave his boyfriend an apologetic smile, “Yes I’m sure,” he answered firmly and rested his forehead against the elder's. Mark pouted, “Fine,” he gave in relinquishing his tight grip, “but you can at least go to class late.”

 

He grabbed the back of Yugyeom’s neck with both hands and captured his lips in a heated kiss. He prayed that Yugyeom would give in and change his mind, and for a second it seemed like he would. Yugyeom groaned into the kiss, but reluctantly pulled away, “No I have to go now hyung.”

 

Mark pouted further and held onto the younger’s hand as he got up, “So you’re just going to leave me here with blue balls?” he asked poking his bottom lip out to gain more sympathy. Yugyeom laughed loudly, it was hard to believe that this man was 24 sometimes, “I’m sorry hyung, but I’m sure you’ll be alright.” “That’s it? That’s all the comfort you have to offer?” the elder asked incredulously. Yugyeom pulled his hand free, “That’s it,” he confirmed as he took his exit.

 

Mark chuckled to himself and shook his head. He turned over onto his stomach, “I hate college,” he mumbled to himself resting his chin on the bed.

 

He and Yugyeom had made up almost two months ago and he’d been all over him ever since; always touching, kissing, or a combination of the both. The sex was amazing before but, now that his underlying guilt had decayed, it was nothing short of stellar. He couldn’t get enough of Yugyeom and he was not ashamed to admit it…now.

 

He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling with a wide smile, he could honestly say he was happy…well happier than he was. There were still people who gave them disapproving looks, but now he didn’t care. It was amazing how different he felt after such a short amount of time, guess that was all thanks to Yugyeom. He would do anything and everything for Yugyeom, including forgive himself.


End file.
